Somewhere in the Black Hills of South Dakota, every September, time travels backwards.

The Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup is the largest bison roundup in the country. Typically with around 1,400 bison, it is one of the great conservation stories of the American West. The event feels more like the late 1800’s than the present day. Cowboys on horseback, dust in the air, and a rumble before you see it.

But Rumble on the Plains isn’t really about the bison. It is a look at the people who show up every year like it is more important than Christmas, because for some of them, it is.

Bob, an 89 year old cowboy was still riding and he had 4 generations with him at the Roundup in 2024. His grandson Levi has been riding for years now and is working towards becoming a core rider, a title Bob knows well. Chad runs the herd and has stories about these animals that could fill a feature film. Allison was riding for her first time, and watching her eyes alight with the experience she just had is about as close to the saddle as most of us will get.

This film is about a place, a tradition, and the people who refuse to let it go.

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